The present invention relates to a new and distinct hosta plant, Hosta ‘Afterglow’ hereinafter also referred to as the new plant or just the cultivar name, ‘Afterglow’. Hosta ‘Afterglow’ was discovered by Susan Lichacz in the summer of 2009 at a perennial plant nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Hosta ‘Afterglow’ is an uninduced whole plant mutation of Hosta ‘Climax’ discovered in a batch of tissue-culture propagated Hosta ‘Climax’ (not patented). The new plant has been asexually propagated by division at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and also by careful tissue culture propagation since August of 2011 with the resultant asexually propagated plants having retained all the same traits as the original plant. Hosta ‘Afterglow’ is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
There are almost 5,000 hostas registered with The American Hosta Society, which is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Hosta. The most similar hosta cultivars known to the applicant are: Hosta ‘Academy Blushing Recluse’ (not patented), ‘Afternoon Delight’ (not patented), ‘Erie Magic’ (not patented), ‘El Capitan’ (not patented), ‘Goodness Gracious’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,081 and the original mutation parent Hosta ‘Climax’. All of the above have a yellowish leaf margin with green to dark green leaf centers. ‘Afterglow’ is less rugose with a more rounded leaf than ‘Academy Blushing Recluse’. The new plant has a less pointed leaf apex and is larger in leaf and habit than ‘El Capitan’ and more rounded in habit with less pointed in leaf apex than ‘Erie Magic’. Compared to ‘Afternoon Delight’ the new plant has wider yellow variegation of the margins, and in comparison to ‘Goodness Gracious’ the new plant has a more rounded leaf, with deeper impressed adaxial veins and less acute apex. In comparison to ‘Climax’, the new plant has a wider yellow variegation of the margin.
The new plant, Hosta ‘Afterglow’ is different from all other hosta cultivars known to the inventor through the following combined characteristics:                1. Upright mounded habit.        2. Heart-shaped leaves with broad yellow margins and green leaf center.        3. Light lavender buds opening to pale lavender flowers beginning in late June on arching scapes.        